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South Korea and the United States have cancelled the biennial Ssangyong amphibious landing exercise due to Middle East conflict constraints.

South Korea has officially cancelled the biennial Ssangyong amphibious landing exercise scheduled for next month. The decision follows a formal notification from the US Marine Corps in June, stating that force availability was constrained by the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran. The drills, which typically involve warships, aircraft, and ground forces rehearsing combined operations, were designed to strengthen the relationship between the marine forces of both nations. This cancellation comes after the administration announced a reduction in the other annual joint military exercise, the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills. President Trump ordered the scaling back of the drills from 11 days to five days, citing the costs and Seoul's refusal to participate in the war on Iran. President Trump noted that the Ulchi Freedom Shield drills sent an inappropriate and hostile signal to North Korea, a country that remained unthreatening and respectful during his presidency. Despite the reduction, North Korea fired 10 short-range ballistic missiles last week and issued a statement denouncing the military drills.

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